Ruined Country
by moonlightgirl95
Summary: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Ch. 108-135, told from the viewpoint of the vampire Kamui.
1. Ruined Country

.:Ruined Country.

He was, as usual, kneeling by the side of the underground lake and gazing into its depths. Then he heard heavy footsteps. Too heavy to be Nataku or Yuuto…Kusanagi.

"Kamui!" At the sound of his name, the slender, raven-haired youth looked up, his violet eyes wary. The other approached hurriedly.

"Kamui...intruders!" Instantly, Kamui was on the defensive.

"Of what district?" he asked. If it was _him_…but Kusanagi shrugged. He didn't know.

"Where are they?"

"The West Gate," Kusanagai reported. Kamui swept up his cloak, grabbing his crossbow as he did so, and began to walk quickly, willing himself to keep a human pace. Kusanagi followed.

As he neared the West Gate, Kamui heard faraway footsteps. The intruders were nearby. He sensed Kusanagi circle around the long way but took a shortcut and leapt effortlessly onto a pile of crumbling rock, lightly and silently maneuvering his way to where the others were waiting. As he neared his companions, Kamui deftly pulled up his hood…no need to show the intruders who he was. The lack of identity amongst them made the intruders afraid, and that was exactly what he wanted.

When he reached the others, they each nodded to him silently. He nodded back, and turned away.

Closing his eyes – no need for anyone to see them burn gold – he threw his vampire senses outward with a deep inhalation, scanning every soul within a mile radius for unfamiliar essences. He stopped at a spot around fifty feet away from where he and the others stood. There, he could feel four new essences – two were powerful magical beings, with one hiding some kind of secret. The third newcomer gave off a very confident aura… Kamui guessed that he was powerful physically. _For a human, that is_, he thought darkly, smirking to himself. The fourth…was weak in stature but possessed hidden abilities. Kamui listened to what they were saying, not really caring.

"Are they…real corpses?" a breathy male voice asked, his voice lined with worry.

"…Yeah. They've been killed," a deeper voice answered in a flat tone. The first voice sighed.

"Thank goodness Sakura-chan's still asleep…" A distance away from the first two voices, a third, younger male voice spoke.

"Mokona…you can come hide in my clothes…"

"No…" The other voice was absurdly high, childish, and probably not human. "…I need to help find where Sakura's feathers are…"

"Thank you." His voice was filled with gratitude. "Do you sense it?"

"…I don't know. But I sense a great power." Surprise made Kamui's eyes snap open. That was what Subaru had said…before he had…

The young male voice interrupted his thoughts. "Where is it coming from?"

"…From below." Kamui's eyes flashed. No matter what they were looking for, he would never allow them underground, to where Subaru slept…

Footsteps again, of just one essence. The one with strong magical ability, who wasn't hiding a secret. Kamui closed his eyes again and listened to the intruder's sharp intakes of breath as he viewed the destruction and the dead set before his eyes. With a random turn, the intruder stepped into view of not just Kamui but the rest of the group too.

It was a slight, brown-haired boy in strange clothes, with a rabbit-like creature perched on his shoulder. Kamui narrowed his eyes, puzzled. From the rabbit he could perceive a strong magical ability, but from the boy…nothing. Kamui tried harder, and was rewarded with a very faint essence, barely anything. Not a whole soul, but still something…a faint whiff of determination was all he could make out. Surely it would have been more, but for the fact that this soul seemed torn…perhaps he was "E"?

He shook his head, breaking free of his idle thoughts. These were intruders, thieves, he reminded himself. They deserved to die.

"Kill them," he whispered, loud enough to be heard by the others but soft enough to escape the thieves' notice. Immediately, they pulled their triggers and a shower of arrows rained down upon the boy and the rabbit. The boy gasped and stepped back, just in time to avoid being shot in the leg by Kazuki's arrow. He vaulted backwards, narrowly missing a second volley of arrows. He clutched the rabbit tightly to him as he dodged the oncoming assault.

Watching, Kamui finally shot his own arrow, right at the boy's face. The intruder's eyes widened in shock at the incoming arrow and, with more instinct than anything else, he vaulted into the air and kicked the arrow away. Kamui raised an eyebrow. This intruder wasn't as weak as he looked. And there was something else…something familiar about the way he kicked…

The boy began to look tired with the beginning of the third volley. Kamui noted the bleeding cut on his cheek and his ragged clothes. Had he been fighting before this? No matter, he decided, and shot another arrow out. The boy's reflexes were too slow, and he was wounded; this one made its way deep into the intruder's right leg, making him gasp aloud and stagger back against a pillar for support.

"Syaoran!" the rabbit cried out. The others raised their crossbows, ready for the death volley, but Kamui waved them off. Obediently, they lowered their weapons and waited. Kamui, his crossbow still pointed at the boy, spoke.

"You must have a death wish…to have dared enter this place…" he said softly. For the first time, the boy…Syaoran…looked up and saw his faceless attackers. His forehead creased – with anger? Or fear?

"A stranger's face," noted Yuuto casually.

"Those kicks were awesome!" Kazuki, as per usual, was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

"What are you talking about?" Nataku snapped. "They're intruders!"

"And thieves," Satsuki added, a hint of menace embedded in her voice.

"So," concluded Yuuto, hitching up his crossbow again. "What to do…" – Kamui reached up and pulled his hood down slowly – "…Kamui?"

**So that's the first chapter ^0^, I tried to make it as seamless with the manga as possible while still bringing up some new angles and stuff, hoped it worked ^^ Please review, constructive criticism is welcome!**


	2. The Child of God

.:The Child of God.

Kamui stared down at the boy, who stared back at him, analyzing his attacker. His amber eyes widened as he took in Kamui's aura, which was powerful enough for observant humans to notice. The boy met the coolness of the vampire's gaze and touched the arrow in his leg, wincing. So the thief knew that he would be no match for him, especially not with an arrow through his leg. Kamui shifted his position slightly so the crossbow hung across his body, fingers touching his mouth lightly. He studied the intruder, puzzling over the lack of essence and finally asked coolly,

"Are you…'E'?" If the boy was one, he should know what the abbreviation stood for; if not, there was no need to let him know.

It seemed that the boy was not one, or if he was, didn't know it; his eyes widened and his eyebrows pulled together, obviously confused. The vampire closed his eyes and sighed, letting his fingers slip down to tug at his cloak. What a waste of time. All he needed to do was kill the boy and be done with it. With the instantaneous decision, he opened his eyes and swiftly, pulling his crossbow forth, shot an arrow right at the boy's heart.

_What to do…Kamui?_

"I'll kill him." The boy, unprepared, could only cringe away as the arrow sang through the air…

…and was knocked from its path by a rock, thrown from somewhere to the left. All heads turned to face the sudden newcomer.

It was the confident essence Kamui had felt earlier. Indeed, as he had guessed, the newcomer was tall and well-built, his posture and clothing hinting at great physical strength.

"Kurogane-san!" the boy called, relief etched all over his face. The man straightened and took a good look at his companion.

"You got all these wounds from…just wandering around?" He smiled slightly, and called, "My sword, white manju!" His sword? Kamui wondered exactly where these newcomers were from.

The rabbit opened his mouth wide and out came a long sword, very suitable for the muscular stranger. Kamui heard some murmurs of shock from behind him and supposed that their reaction was only natural, having never seen magic before. The human caught the sword and pulled it out with a practiced movement, whirling to face the guardians of the Tokyo Government Office.

"You were the ones who started it," he reminded them. Was he intending to fight?

"Another one." Satsuki was clearly bored.

"What an awesome weapon! Of what district is it?" Kazuki wanted to know.

The newcomer tried to hide it, but for a split moment Kamui could see slight confusion appear on his features. So he wasn't from any neighboring place? Another….world, perhaps? The raven-haired vampire stifled a hiss. If he had any connections with that hunter…

Kamui could tell that this one was reckless and clearly overconfident. If he were to fight, the human would be no match for him. Even as the thought came to his mind, the crimson-eyed stranger turned to the vampire and, with an almost insane grin pulling across his face, said,

"You're the leader, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

His companions, still hooded, just had to comment. How human.

"Unafraid, huh? Good for him. This should be fun…" chuckled Yuuto.

"He thinks he can defeat Kamui?"

"That's not possible!"

Behind his expressionless mask, Kamui contemplated the human. Certainly, he was strong. And clearly of the opinion that he was the better fighter, else would he seem so smug? A small, dangerous flame flickered to life within the vampire. This human deserved a humbling, and Kamui didn't have much else to do at the moment. Alright, he decided. He would give this human a try.

He dived.

Ignoring the shocked cries of his companions, Kamui made straight for the crimson-eyed stranger. As he curled his arm back, he viewed with smugness how startled the thief was. Like an arrow, he unleashed the coiled spring and aimed for the human's arm. His opponent only had just enough time to raise his arm and cringe as Kamui's sharp nails cut open the fabric of his shirt below his arm.

Kamui's other arm shot out, grazing his opponent's cheekbone and successfully breaking open the skin. Briefly, Kamui fought the temptation to bring his fingertips to his mouth and taste the other's blood. The human, the cut on his cheek trickling blood, took a swipe at him with the sword, a movement that Kamui easily dodged. Several more slashes brought the same result, the human not even coming close. Frustration showing on his face, the human paused for a split second. Kamui took the opportunity to partially shrug out of his cloak; it would only hinder his movements. Gracefully, he flung the tattered cloak in front of the human, buying himself time and confusing his opponent.

He then proceeded to advance from side to side, watching his opponent's eyes and noting with satisfaction how unfocused and panicked they were. The human was losing concentration. Triumphant, he launched himself forward from the human's right and leapt into the air, fingertips lightly tracing the blade of the sword. The human's head snapped up, crimson eyes clashing with violet for a split second.

"Danger!" shouted the boy. But he was too late. Kamui delivered a swift kick right into the other's abdomen, using the movement to propel himself away and send his opponent flying into the wall behind him. The cement crackled and gave way as the human gritted his teeth and struggled to free himself.

And now, for the final move. Kamui spun around and rushed at the human from the side, intending to slit his throat and send him flying. As he neared, the human took one look at him and closed his eyes. …Was he giving up already? Kamui wondered. How cowardly and yet utterly human, to not be able to look death in the face, to close one's eyes as it came rushing towards him…

With the bestowed speed of the vampire species, Kamui sliced through the air with his left arm. Just another moment and the human, the prey…would be no more. But suddenly, as his fingers neared the human's throat, a flash of silver – a keen whoosh –

And suddenly, he was the prey.

The human had moved faster, faster than his previous moves, faster than with his eyes open. Faster than Kamui. And now, because of his underestimation of the human, the gleaming blade was now pressed against the predator's throat.

Kamui's eyes widened in shock. _This human was on par with a vampire_. Just like that person…

The human's reckless grin grew as he met Kamui's speechless face. He swiftly flung the sword – and Kamui – upwards, shouting, "Shou Ryuu Sen!" The words amplified his blow, sending Kamui high up into the air. He struggled to protect himself from the lashing blows, but the human's attack was stronger than even his own, and Kamui was flung, as if in a mock rewind of what he had done to the human, into the rocky cement. Pain shot through Kamui's body, seared through him as it hadn't in years. As bits of rock and dust fell around him, Kamui's eyes flamed golden, his nerves turning immediately to the function _heal_. But even with his superb healing abilities, it was a few seconds before the raven-haired vampire was able to move. Gracefully but cautiously, he leapt down from the crater he had created. As he landed, his left leg seared with pain again. Taking care not to show any of the pain on his face, Kamui waved a careless hand behind him, motioning to the others to back away. He must not let them see that he was injured…

His façade worked. The human, his face showing frustration again, growled to his companion,

"Does he…not feel pain…?" Out of the corner of his eye, Kamui noticed the human boy watching him with an expression of mixed confusion and awe.

The others, with the shock of their leader being slammed into a wall slowly ebbing away, resumed their chatter.

"Heh…not bad," growled Kusanagi.

"Knocked Kamui flying, huh?" Yuuto chuckled appreciatively.

"He used a weapon." The human's feat didn't seem to have affected Satsuki.

"But that's already very good!" Kazuki seemed beside himself with excitement.

"So?! That's nothing to be excited about!" snapped Satsuki.

Amidst the talk, Kamui suddenly heard a faint _beep_ and the sound of tires screeching to a halt. The human seemed to have heard the sounds too, his head snapping up in surprise. "What's that sound?" he demanded.

"…They're here." Kamui turned to go, holding back a sigh of exasperation. He was tired of holding up the "uninjured" act, and he disliked spending so much time away from Subaru. Better to get this over with. Sensing the confusion of the human, Kamui carelessly finished his answer.

"…The ones from the Tower."

* * *

**Second chapter up! Fighting scenes are hard, and I don't think I did a very good job, so I recommend you take a look at the manga while reading it. Haha. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	3. Cannot be Given

.:Cannot Be Given.

Silently, he swept up his tattered cloak and turned away from the crimson-eyed human and his companion.

"Oi, it hasn't ended yet," the human interjected. Kamui ignored him and began to walk away.

"Ah – I think Kamui finds you boring –" Kazuki informed him matter-of-factly.

Only half listening to the retorts of the clearly offended human, Kamui set off for the North Gate, where he could feel seven essences that hadn't been there earlier. He perused them for a moment. Indeed, it was them.

Kamui's expression was subdued as he crossed the threshold and came into view of the seven newcomers. His gaze locked on their leader who, like Kamui, was the only one unhooded. The other's eyes concealed amusement as he looked Kamui up and down.

"You seem dispirited…Kamui."

"…It's because you showed up," he replied coldly.

Fuuma smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." He tilted his head, amber eyes searching the vampire's face. "Well then, let's get to the point."

"We cannot hand it over." Kamui said, his voice level. Support radiated from behind him…when had the others come…?

"There is still some left under your Tower, isn't there?" he continued.

"…Yes," Fuuma confirmed, "…but only some. And…" His gaze turned mocking. "there's no such thing as having too much."

If there was going to be a fight, it would be now. Kamui flicked his hand ever so slightly, nothing more than a twitch really, motioning for those behind him to remove their hoods and raise their crossbows. As he had expected, Fuuma caught the motion and signaled for his companions to do the same. In the same instant, the guardians of both sides reached up and lowered their hoods. Kamui gazed dully at the somewhat familiar faces, his eyes lingering on the female with long dark hair. He sensed a strange power from her, much like the power that radiated from Kakyou. Could she be…?

He would investigate later, he decided. What mattered now was getting rid of them and returning to Subaru as quickly as possible…

"…We will not hand it over," he repeated. "If you try to take it by force…" Anticipation, almost eagerness, flitted across their faces. "I will _kill you_." With those words, he shot forward with inhuman speed, right arm cutting across to slice at where Fuuma's neck was. The other moved back just in time, Kamui's diamond-hard nails shredding cloth instead of flesh.

The movement had brought Kamui down into a crouch, his cloak billowing out behind him. He sprang back up and cut his left arm across in a mirroring movement – a distraction. His other arm shot up, aiming at the human's face. Quickly, Fuuma turned his body so that Kamui's right arm narrowly shot past his face, just nicking his sunglasses and sending them flying. A sudden danger signal sounded in the back of Kamui's mind as he saw the other's eyes, now unhindered by the glasses, watching his movements, following them precisely. His amber eyes were totally focused. At the same time, Kamui felt a slight twinge of pain in his shoulder – had he pushed himself too far?

Easily, like grabbing hold of a child's arm, Fuuma's gloved hand tightened around Kamui's slender wrist, cutting off his momentum. Violet eyes glared dangerously into cool amber ones.

"You're moving slower than usual," Fuuma informed the scowling vampire, a sly smile playing around his mouth. "Is it because you're injured?"

Bingo. But Kamui fought to control his expression and without answering, threw Fuuma out, sending the human flying across the room. He watched coldly as the human caught himself and skidded to a stop just in time to avoid hitting the wall behind him. Huh.

The ones from the Tower were just as talkative as their counterparts.

"Ah – he got thrown out," said a young female with short black hair.

An older male with messy hair laughed. "That was _uncool_, Fuuma!" he called teasingly.

The human looked up, his phony smile still in place. "Indeed," he confirmed, chuckling. He stood and, catching sight of the crimson-eyed human and the boy, waved. "Guests?" he inquired good-naturedly.

_How fake_, Kamui thought. Apparently the human thought so too; his expression remained unfriendly as he growled,

"What are you doing, waving your hand like that…"

"Seems that they're not from the Tower," remarked Kakyou coolly, storing his crossbow. Kamui glanced at him – he was so sure…could it be that he'd had another dream? Kakyou turned and met Kamui's gaze.

_I need to talk to you later._ His voice echoed slightly in the vampire's head. Kamui nodded curtly and turned back to the conversation.

"Perhaps they're playing dumb," suggested Kazuki.

"No," Fuuma replied with a slight smile as he dusted himself off, "this is the first time we've met."

Kamui sighed. When were they going to leave? Hmm…surely the others would leave if their leader was injured…

He plunged into movement once more. Like lightning, Fuuma had his pistol out and fired at the vampire. The shot missed by a mere fraction of an inch.

"How rude, Kamui…you don't seem to be listening to a word I say," he drawled. The vampire said nothing but continued to attack, violet eyes blazing.

"Fuuma, there's news from the Tower," called a red-haired female, her communicator pressed against her ear, "Another district's attacking. We ought to go."

Kamui's arm snapped up. Fuuma turned and dodged it, calling over his shoulder, "Tell them to send the others out to defend it. After all," he murmured in a voice so quiet only Kamui could hear it, "I'm having much too fun here." Kamui hissed and redoubled his efforts.

"Sorry, Fuuma, but it looks like they won't be able to hold it," replied a dark-haired male, his expression half apologetic and half amused. The Tower guardian who'd teased Fuuma laughed.

"If we stay out playing, ours will be taken too," he reminded him. "We'd better go." Like the others, he leapt onto his scooter and rode off. Fuuma smiled in defeat.

"Well then…I suppose there's no other choice." Kamui eyed him apprehensively. There was something phony about that smile…

He wasn't mistaken. Without warning, Fuuma fired another shot at Kamui's left leg. The vampire stifled a gasp and raised his leg just in time to avoid it. The bullet skimmed his right calf, burying itself in the ground. No matter, Kamui thought – any wound made there would heal instantly. Fuuma grinned and leapt onto his scooter, raising his hand in a farewell salute.

"Until next time – Kamui." The vampire watched coldly as the scooter and its rider disappeared into the distance. When he had made sure that they were gone, Kamui turned away and contemplated the two from earlier. Under normal circumstances he would have killed them, but the crimson-eyed human was indeed strong – killing him would take up unnecessary time, and perhaps Kakyou's dream had something to do with them…better to keep them alive. He began to walk away.

"You're leaving…just like that?" asked the crimson-eyed human, his expression wary.

Kamui neither stopped nor turned; instead, he addressed the others. "I'll leave the rest to you." He realized that while he had been preoccupied with the human from the Tower, the two other new essences from earlier that morning had crept closer.

"And the two that are hiding as well," he added. Sensing the shock from the two newcomers but not bothering to respond to it, Kamui left the West Gate and headed for the underground reservoir.

As he walked, the chatter from the others died off and was replaced by a vast, empty silence, interrupted only by the soft click of his shoes on the dusty ground. Softly the vampire made his way down the stairs, pausing as he came into view of the reservoir. Exhaling, he walked down the last set of stairs to stand before the dark, motionless water.

Memories and longing washed over him as he viewed the reservoir. Slowly, the vampire bent down and let his exhaustion wash over him. His expressionless mask ebbed away and was replaced by sorrow as he watched the glimmering orb beneath the water.

Kamui sighed and closed his eyes, letting his body slump forward.

"How much longer…can we go on like this…?" he whispered brokenly. "Subaru….."

* * *

**Ughhh...3rd chapter's finally up! Had a lot of writer's block with this one... I still don't like it much, if someone can point out to me what I could improve, please do so! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	4. The Two Who are Intertwined

.:The Two Who are Intertwined.

If Subaru never awoke, if he stayed in this wretched slumber forever, what would he do?

If the hunter caught up with them, what would he do?

What _could _he do? The vampire shut his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth against the inevitable answer.

Nothing. No matter what, he knew he was doomed to wait helplessly, to be prey to fate…he let out his breath in a long, low hiss of frustration.

"Am I interrupting? Kamui."

Even before he turned, he knew it was Kakyou. "No," he replied, smoothing his expression into nothingness again, "I was waiting for you. Where are the others?"

"They left on a hunt at dawn."

"I see. So…you wanted to see me."

Kakyou nodded. "I had a dream two nights ago."

"I thought so. Continue."

"I foresaw their coming…" Kakyou's hazel eyes turned a flat, empty brown as he relived his prophetic dream. "The four newcomers, that is. In my dream, they came out of a magic circle. They're cross-dimension travelers, apparently." Kamui's eyes narrowed. So he had been right about their origins…

Kakyou's eyebrows pulled together. "I saw…the fighting from yesterday afternoon," he said slowly, "but after that everything is jumbled together – until the last scene."

"Yes?"

"It was clear – so clear. Everyone was there, including those four…"

"Where did it take place?"

"Here." Kakyou looked troubled. "Here, underground."

Kamui's eyes flamed gold. "What?!" he said sharply. If it took place here, Subaru…what if something happened to him– no! – if it had been in Kakyou's dream, it meant something important – could that important be as in something good? Or as in something…terrible? Kamui sucked in a breath, his mind racing with the endless possibilities.

Suddenly catching sight of Kakyou's wary expression, he hastily closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down. No need to get overexcited.

"What happens?" he finally managed, opening his eyes to reveal their newly resumed violet. "What did you see?"

"I don't know. But the atmosphere was full of dread. I felt a great weight here..." He gestured at his chest. "Like nothing would ever be right again." He glanced at the vampire. "…Kamui?"

The other had his head bowed, fingers clasped together as though in prayer, violet eyes staring fixedly into the water. "Kamui?"

As if waking from a deep slumber, the vampire looked up. "Yes…" he said, drawing out the word slowly. "If that takes place here, then…"

"The water supply – and whatever it is that you are protecting here…may be affected," confirmed Kakyou.

"It cannot be avoided, can it."

"I don't think so. All we can do is hope for the best." Kamui groaned inwardly. _Again_ with being vulnerable to fate, _again_ with being helpless to anything that might happen to the one he loved most…

From far away, above ground, he heard panicked voices.

"Where's Kakyou? Someone got trapped under the crumbling pillar – they need to get their wounds treated –"

"The last I saw him was this morning –"

"Couldn't Satsuki treat the wound?"

"But she's nowhere to be seen either. And only guardians have the key to the medicine supply…"

Kamui turned back to the dreamseer. "You're wanted up there," he said dully, jerking his chin upward in the direction of the voices. Kakyou glanced at the vampire for a moment, curiosity in his unusually light brown eyes. Then, without questioning him, he nodded.

"Then…I'd better go. I'll contact you if anything happens." He stood and quickly walked up the stairs and out of sight. When he was gone, Kamui sighed and turned back to the water, thinking. No matter what happened, he finally decided, he would _never_ let anything happen to Subaru. Even if he was rendered near helpless by the events to come, he would protect him – without fail.

"I swear it…" he whispered, almost hissed, to the dark, motionless water. There was no reply from the icy depths below.

**Heh…sorry about how short this one is. I'll make the next one longer, I promise! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	5. Half Broken Dream

.:Half-Broken Dream.

Kamui gazed into the water wordlessly, eyes fixed on the glimmering orb beneath the surface. His heart ached at the thought of his twin under all that weight. Subaru…

_Whoosh._ The vampire's head snapped up at the sound, his eyes widening in shock as the water before him began to swirl and move about restlessly. What…?

Before he had even finished the thought, a blinding ray of light shot out of the water. Then another, and another, until the whole underground chamber was filled with light. Kamui leapt to his feet in shock, eyes blazing golden to match the light as his vampire senses took over.

Without thinking, he shed his cloak in one fluid movement and dived into the water.

Water was no barrier to him. It churned as he swam down with swift and powerful strokes, to the source of all the now fading light – the glimmering orb where Subaru slept. As he neared it, Kamui could see a slight figure floating there, inside the semitransparent material. Right next to a long, dark shape…

A girl. A girl? Kamui realized that it was the fourth essence he had felt but not seen, the one with hidden abilities.

"Why…is she here…?" Kamui murmured to himself. He had been here all this time…there was no way she could have gotten in…

"No…" he realized, his eyes narrowing as he took in her essence, "Her body is elsewhere – this is the soul…?"

He watched as the orb began to glow faintly once more, light radiating from the center, then fading to reveal a shape…surely the "great power" he and Subaru had felt upon their arrival. Kamui leaned forward, eyes intent.

It was a feather, etched with a crest of sorts. Still glowing brightly when the rest of the light had gone, it slowly began to gravitate towards the girl. Was she its owner?

Apparently so, for as the piece of soul neared her, the girl's "heart" opened up with a faint ripple, as if embracing its kin. Kamui watched as the two pieces of soul became one, seeing but not comprehending.

As the last of the feather was absorbed into the girl, a warning signal sounded in Kamui's mind. His head snapped up in alarm.

The kekkai that had been protecting the Government Building had disappeared.

Grimly, Kamui realized that Kakyou's dream was slowly beginning to unfold and come alive, and that the conditions were much, much worse than he had bargained for. As he mentally probed the area where the barrier had been, Kamui realized that without it, the building would disintegrate in a matter of days, perhaps less. All the humans living here would perish if that happened. But, more importantly…

The raven-haired vampire whirled about, waiting. If the mysterious power had disappeared, then surely all that had been drawn in by that power should be released from its enchantment also…

But Subaru did not wake.

Kamui continued to wait, holding his breath, for an antagonizingly long moment. When he realized that his twin was still asleep, the vampire bit his lip so hard it began to bleed.

_Subaru_, he thought desperately, _please, awaken!_ In a rage, Kamui brought his arm back and slashed into the rubbery material of the orb. It gave way but, as if mocking him, did not break.

"The great power…it's been absorbed, it's gone," he confirmed to himself desperately. He looked up at Subaru's dark shape with helpless eyes. "Why…why hasn't he awoken?" He pressed his hand tentatively into the rubbery substance and his eyes caught on the girl.

The girl… He stared at her, a thought suddenly coming to mind. Violet eyes dark with cool understanding, Kamui whispered to himself,

"Could it be…the sleep of this human is continuing to pull him in?"

If that was so, then the girl needed to die. It was no matter to him. Kamui turned and prepared to slash through the rubbery material, reason fleeing from his mind and all thought focused on saving Subaru. He brought his arm back in a fury and…

The vampire felt the interference moments before he heard it. He came to a halt just in time, watching warily as a figure enveloped in a mass of churning bubbles plunged down before him. Kamui's eyes narrowed dangerously as he realized that it was the human boy. How _dare_ he interfere _now…_

The boy was clearly uneasy in the water. He gritted his teeth, fighting to hold his breath. Humans were made that way, the vampire thought icily, so vulnerable and helpless, so dependent on their environment. Pitiful. He glared at the boy.

"You are interfering. Get out of the way." Kamui lashed out the words with cold anger.

The stupid human stared at him uncomprehendingly. Kamui gritted his teeth and repeated his words.

"I'll say it once more. _Get out of the way._"

Still no response from the human boy. His patience fed up, Kamui slashed at him, sending the boy backwards, his cloak torn and air bubbles – that pitiful substance humans lived on – spilling from his open mouth.

His anger and energy not spent, Kamui advanced on the human and slashed again, in a mirror movement of his first attack. His sharp nails tore at the boy's shirt and left long gashes in the black fabric. From habit, Kamui continued the routine of attack. He shot out his arm and, in his anger, cut through the rough cloak and into the boy's shoulder, feeling his involuntary jerk as the attack jarred his entire body. The smell of fresh blood – and all the passageways that were opened up along with it – hit him in an overwhelming wave.

And then suddenly Kamui's suspicions were confirmed.

"So," he hissed softly, "you really _are_ 'E.'"

The boy's face registered nothing but shock. Clutching his wounded shoulder, he glared in confusion at the vampire.

_He said the same thing when I first met him. What is 'E'?_

Kamui listened intently to the thoughts that flowed out along with the human's blood. The human's ignorance did not surprise him. He said quietly, almost mockingly,

"'What is E'…in other words, you don't know?"

_He can read my thoughts?! _More shock. Humans were so easily surprised, Kamui thought disdainfully.

"'E'…" he drawled slowly, lifting his head to look the human in the eye, "is 'esa'…_bait._"

The words were an obvious insult, even to the uncomprehending human. Angrily, the boy finally attacked. He lashed out at the vampire with his left leg, a weak kick that was further hindered by the water. Kamui easily deflected it with a flick of his palm.

The kick was nothing, but it brought with it a familiar unease. What was it about the boy's technique that seemed so familiar to him? As Kamui moved into motion, he murmured slowly, concentrating,

"The technique you use…" But no spark of realization came. Merely saying the words would do nothing, he reminded himself, and turned his attention back to the fight. Without another word, he shot towards the human, this time aiming for his throat. His sharp nails sliced the boy's neck, breaking the skin and releasing the dark, sweet blood – really, the only tempting thing about humans. Kamui watched coldly as the boy floated backwards, his scarlet blood gracefully intermingling with the murky water. He looked down at his own blood-drenched hand and, unable to resist the powerful smell of human blood, flicked out his tongue and caught a drop. Instantly, his eyes flamed golden and the vampire hissed menacingly,

"I'll kill you." He felt powerful, strong…it had been a while since he had last tasted blood. "If your blood is drunk, all of it, perhaps he will awaken…"

Kamui caressed the name as he spoke it aloud, letting his voice wrap around it tenderly.

"Subaru."

**OMG I'm back. I am SO sorry for not updating in like 10 million years. High school is busy. So, quite frankly, I hate this chapter. It's difficult to understand, especially if you haven't read Tsubasa in a while, so if confused I recommend that you take a look at the manga, Tokyo arc, Ch. 115-117. Kamui's train of thought is hard to follow (probably because none of us are scary bloodthirsty vampires) and I think I was overly dramatic. Lol. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome, as always! I promise to try and upload more chapters .**


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